You can learn about how the defense of the Caucasus during the Great Patriotic War took place from numerous historical sources. This page of the military history of Russia is considered one of the most important, significant, worth being proud of. According to many, every student who studies the history of his state, as well as any adult, should know about the heroism of compatriots shown when the enemy wished to subdue the difficult mountainous Caucasian terrain.
From the beginning
The defense of the Caucasus began during the Great Patriotic War on July 25, 1942. This day is the start of a significant battle. According to many researchers of the events of those times, it should rightfully be considered one of the most dramatic for the entire period of battles with the aggressor. The Germans, supported by the Romanian army, from their very first steps met with the most severe resistance in the face of those who defended the Caucasus. The battle began near the villages of Kushchevskaya and Shkurinskaya. Here it was possible to detain the enemy for three days. On August 2, 1942, an attack took place, which later in detail anddetails will be recorded in the annals of the world chronicles of battles. It fell to the share of the Cossack corps to carry out the culminating attack. Riding war horses, Russian soldiers rushed to defend the Fatherland. Since the Germans were marching at that moment, they simply did not have the opportunity to seriously strike back.
The defense of the Caucasus in 1942, which began with an attack near Kushchevskaya, is known for the fact that the first line of the aggressor f altered almost immediately. Directly the collision took place on the village itself. During this tense moment, the site changed hands three times. The personal feat of Nedorubov is considered especially important. This Cossack forever inscribed his name in the history of patronymics, because together with his son he chose a very good position near the embankment and fired at the enemy. On his account - a few dozen soldiers of the aggressor. Everything was used: weapons, grenades. In the future, the Cossack will be called the hero of the USSR. He is one of those five who became a full Knight of St. George, and later a hero of the state.
Lieutenant Zubkov
Under his command was a battery, which also distinguished itself during the defense of the Caucasus in 1942. The Germans, having an impressive numerical advantage, captured most of the territory of Novorossiysk by September 11th. Both the port part and the main settlement were constantly fired upon by Soviet soldiers. Among all the batteries, one of the most distinguished results was commanded by Zubkov. This battery is numbered 394. It had four 100 mm guns. The battery was at Cape Penai. When it was just installed, it was believed that the guns would reflect possible naval aggression. Only in 1942 did it become clear that the warriors in this position could fight back the advancing on the ground.
During the period of the defense of the Caucasus, 691 shootings were organized. In total, the soldiers sent about 12 thousand warheads towards the enemy. The aggressor was well aware that such a confrontation significantly undermined his capabilities, so Zubkov's battery was regularly attacked by artillery and air equipment of the German troops. Massive attacks caused heavy losses, but the defenders of the Motherland did not give up, although the guns received serious damage. The barrels were changed, new armor shields were supplied - and they continued to stand against the enemy not for life, but for death. The feat of this unbroken battery is recorded in domestic annals. So that everyone could feel the spirit of heroism in the place where Russian soldiers showed it, a memorial museum complex and a memorial were installed there in 1975.
Katyushas in the mountains
During the Second World War, the defense of the Caucasus was carried out in all the relief conditions of this difficult region. It is known that it was then for the first time in the entire period of the war that M-8s were used to fight the enemy in the mountains. Relatively light collapsible units could be delivered if the soldiers had a rather limited area. At the same time, the firepower was more than decent. For a certain point in time, the system provided the launch of eight warheads with a caliber of 82 mm. For the first time, M-8 began to be actively produced in the Sochi workshop, localized at the sanatoriumterritory "Riviera".
February 4, for the first time such "Katyushas" were used in the fight against the attacker. It all started with the landing. The event took place near Novorossiysk. In the future, this area will be called Malaya Zemlya, it will become an important base for the military. The mackerel seiner, built by domestic engineers, had twelve powerful units for artillery shelling. Such a set of Katyushas made it possible to literally sweep away the first line of the German army opposing the Soviet paratroopers.
PPSh-41
A unique unit, used only here, played its role in the defense of the Caucasus. In no other sectors of the front similar equipment was not and did not appear. The small arms gun got its name in honor of Georgy Shpagin. The responsibility for the manufacture of machines was assigned to the Baku plant by the authorities of the state. The units were made only in the first half of 1942. The machine gun had a sector sight, provided sufficient firepower at a distance of half a kilometer from the installation point. Disc magazines were not mutually interchangeable, they had to be adjusted individually for each unit.
A characteristic identification feature of this small arms used in the defense of the Caucasus is the “FD” imprint on the barrel casing. According to modern historians, a total of several tens of thousands of copies were made. They were used only during military operations in the Caucasus region. No additional studies of the Second World War provide information about the futureapplication of technology. One of the specimens was subsequently found almost at the very top of Elbrus - near the Shelter 11. It was used by Grigoryants' company defending this position. In September 1942, these heroes sacrificed their lives, but did not give up and did not retreat, dying one after another for the sake of their native lands.
Malgobek side
Like many other territories of the front, the Caucasian ones were no exception in terms of the use of tank equipment. The territories on which the defense of the Caucasus took place were exceptionally large in square, so the vehicles had enough room to move. Among the most successful examples of such battles are those that took place in the Malgobek direction. Their feature was the predominant number of the aggressor, while there were relatively few Soviet soldiers. However, this did not confuse the authorities and the rank and file of the 52nd tank brigade. The warriors entered the battle in September 1942 and successfully fought the enemy the following month.
The Germans planned a breakthrough for September 12th. On this day, a massive advance of tanks began. In total, 120 huge machines advanced from the side of the aggressor. The Soviet defenders, having lost a large number of equipment and people, did not retreat, so the enemy was forced to retreat. The brigade repelled the attack under the command of Petrov. In total, 14 enemy vehicles were destroyed in the first battle. Further, the army unit proved to be no less valiant, successfully fighting against the significantly superior attackers in number. The main tactic was the organization of ambushes. Good communication is equally importantwith infantry companies and artillery crews.
Kuban air basin
Defense of the Caucasus during the Great Patriotic War did not proceed similarly to other fronts in everything. For example, it is known that by the spring of 1943 it was mostly quiet along the front lines, but the Kuban air territories became an area of a fierce military conflict. The most difficult were the battles that took place near Myskhako. Clashes near the Crimean village, Moldavanskaya, Kievskaya are considered no less significant. Opponents lost equipment and soldiers, but for the Soviet soldiers the sacrifices were not in vain. Although parting with their lives, the fighters were able to break the aggressor. Soviet aviation in the southern region finally took advantage, although the enemy had it from the very beginning of hostilities.
The military merits of the defenders of the motherland were awarded with various types of awards. The medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus" was awarded to Pokryshkin. He was also awarded the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, celebrating the amazing successes and achievements of a fighter who defended important parts of the country. In the future, he will be awarded this Star twice more. Ultimately, Pokryshkin received the rank of air marshal.
September 1943
The defense of the North Caucasus, which began in 1942, ended in the early autumn of the following year. The last battle is dated the ninth of September. It was then that the operation began, which engulfed Novorossiysk, Taman. Just a month was enough to completely defeat the aggressor based on the Taman Peninsula. Offensivemeasures made it possible to release Anapa from the hands of the enemy and return Novorossiysk to the allied fighters. At the same time, all the basic conditions for the Crimean operation were laid down. Thanks to the valor of the defenders of the Caucasus, this operation ended more than successfully. The country's authorities staged a celebration in honor of the victory on the ninth of September. Fireworks were fired in the metropolitan area. A total of 224 guns participated, of which two dozen volleys were fired.
Success and more
The Caucasian defensive and offensive operation is regarded by historians as a complex military phenomenon that can be divided into two main blocks. In July-December 1942, the defense of the Caucasus pursued the main goal of resisting the conditions of the exceptional superiority of the aggressor. At first, the initiative belonged to the Germans. Their offensive is believed to have ended on the last day of December 1942. Only after that, the Soviet soldiers were able to give an adequate rebuff.
The counteroffensive dragged on until the fall of 1943. At first, the aggressor actively conquered more and more new Kuban lands, advanced and captured the North Caucasian regions, but a serious turn in the state of affairs was explained by the Battle of Stalingrad. The victory of the Soviet soldiers in this area forced the Germans to retreat somewhat. The authorities of the aggressor's army were afraid of being surrounded by the defenders of the Fatherland. In 1943, the army command of the allied power, which had previously gathered to block the enemy in the Kuban lands, was forced to admit that the plan failed, since the enemy moved to the Crimean region.
About the backstory
To understand why the defense of the Caucasus began in this way in July-December 1942, one should refer to the moments preceding the military events in this region. Back in the summer of 1942, the allied army in the south received heavy damage while fighting in the Kharkov lands. The enemy army command was well aware of the current state of affairs, therefore, they realized how important it was to take advantage of a temporary advantageous change in the situation. The moment was assessed as the most successful for the Caucasian breakthrough. A short offensive march made it possible to conquer several significant settlements. The Germans occupied Rostov-on-Don. From that moment on, the road to the Caucasus was considered free.
For the aggressor's army, in short, the defense of the Caucasus was more than expected. For the enemy government, the territories were of strategic importance, and the Soviet managers understood the situation perfectly. As important as it was for the aggressor to seize new lands, it became just as significant for the defender to defend them, no matter what they had to sacrifice for this. The allied power had considerable oil reserves, the main percentage of which was stored in the Caucasus region. The capture of these bases gave Hitler new chances of victory. An equally significant aspect is that the Kuban and Caucasian territories belong to the main suppliers of grain and other products that provided the entire country. Food was needed not only by the defenders, but also by the attackers, so the acquisition of new territories could solve the problem of army support for the invasion. The increased probability of victory for attackers was explained by the fact thatthe fact that a fairly large percentage of the inhabitants of the Caucasus region disapprovingly perceived the power of the Soviets and did not want to submit to the centralized government of the country.
Conditions and combat situation
The dates of the defense of the Caucasus are inscribed in Russian military history with bloody figures. This is due to the problem of ensuring supplies to the region. There was no proper communication. Rostov-on-Don belonged to the aggressor, so access to the Caucasian lands was carried out only by sea. The alternative was the railway in the direction of Stalingrad. The task of the attackers was to exclude these paths as well. To achieve success, the aggressor authorities sent fighters to Stalingrad. As is known from any history textbook, a bloody, very difficult battle was gnawed in which the defenders of the Motherland were able to defeat the attackers.
When they later assessed the conditions in which the defense of the Caucasus proceeded during the Great Patriotic War, they noted that the battle of Stalingrad largely set the tone for what was happening. The defeat of the aggressor troops under the walls of this city was not just a failure, the loss of soldiers and equipment. At the same time, the army of the allied power received new opportunities and means, advantages. From that moment began a turning point in the war. The new stage was characterized by the great success of the defenders, while for the aggressor each new step was given with great difficulty and losses. It was clear that the further the attack went, the harder it would be to organize and support it.
About dates: first block of events
In July-December 1942 defenseThe Caucasus was not as successful as the Soviet sovereign managers would like. The Germans were actively advancing in all parts of the region, capturing more and more new settlements. On August 3, Sevastopol surrendered to the aggressor, four days later - Armavir, and by the tenth of the attackers entered the territory of Maykop. Elista, Krasnodar, fell next. It took the aggressor only two days. By August 21, the flag of the attackers was hoisted on Elbrus. On the 25th, Molzdok came under the control of the attackers, and by September 11, part of Novorossiysk. The offensive stopped in the first autumn month of 1942 near Malgobek.
In those days, it was clear that the heroic defense of the Caucasus, despite the abundance of victims, was not going as well as it should and was important for the country as a whole. The aggressor reached the Terek and stopped in the foothills of the region's main mountain range. However, it was here that a particularly fierce rebuff from the defenders awaited him, so the losses were estimated as unpredictably large. This did not prevent the enemy from capturing many settlements. Despite the impressive successes, Hitler was dissatisfied: his plan of attack could not be implemented, Transcaucasia did not submit, because the soldiers simply did not reach this part of the country, having suffered incalculable losses on the outskirts of the main ridge. The aggressor believed that Turkish troops would come to his aid, but the country's authorities were indecisive and did not take any action.
Development of events
Familiar to many of our contemporaries from the photo, medals for the defense of the Caucasus were not givenjust. The battles in this region were really fierce. According to modern historians, assessing what was happening in those days, the aggressor had excellent chances to win. The reason for the defeat was the main mistake made by the German government. Hitler believed that Stalingrad was a key point that must be captured at any cost. Such attention to this settlement and the forces that were thrown into military operations under it undermined the army's capabilities. When 1943 began, it became clear that now the numerical superiority was on the side of the defenders. Firepower also dominated the allied power.
From that moment, the prospects for a counteroffensive became visible. Thus began a period that in modern history is called the second step in the defense of the region. Many medals for the defense of the Caucasus, familiar to our compatriots from the photo, were awarded to soldiers who showed themselves well in this second block of defensive measures. First, the allied power conquered the Kalmyk lands, Ingush and Chechen, then successfully occupied North Ossetia, the Kabardino-Balkarian regions, territories near Rostov, Stavropol, Cherkessk. Autonomous districts Adygeisky, Karachaevsky became the next. The authorities of the state returned the Maikop oil bases under their control. Agricultural lands were again under the control of the USSR. Their presence meant there would be no more famine.
About results
According to analysts, the defense of the Caucasian lands plays an exceptionally significant role in the counteroffensive along the entire front of the battle. The southern positions of the Soviet army became significantlystronger, the fleet again returned under the control of the state. The importance of naval aviation in the defense of the Caucasus cannot be underestimated. The defense of this region allowed the allied rulers to reclaim the air bases. The strategic importance of the Caucasian lands cannot be overestimated. Without a successful counterattack in this region, it was simply impossible to talk about any victory over the aggressor.
The consequences of the battles were both positive and negative. After the return of the lands under their control, the Soviet authorities began to look for those responsible. The local population was the victim of unfair accusations of supporting the attackers. Many were exiled to Siberia.
We know and remember
To know more about what was happening at the front in those days, everyone can read books devoted to the analysis of events in detail and detail. One of the most important and interesting is considered to be published by Grechko. The name of the work is “Defense of the Caucasus”. Surprisingly, little has been written about the exploits of the heroes who defended the main mountainous parts of the country. The books of Gusev, Gneushev, Poputko seem interesting. The first published his creation under the title "From Elbrus to Antarctica". Two others co-wrote "The Secret of the Marukh Pass". In the last work, one can see numerous memories of those who actually participated in the Caucasian battles. From here you can learn about what those awarded for the defense of the Caucasus remember. The creation attracted the attention of the broad masses of the people. A movement began throughout the country to create monuments, organize rallies, erect obelisks dedicated to the victims of that tragic period.military history of an allied power.
Among our contemporaries best imagine the difficulties faced by the defenders of the Caucasus, climbers who regularly climb these mountains. The feat of the 46th and 37th armies looks significant. At their expense, the position of the aggressor was practically hopeless, and was regarded by the enemy authorities as a catastrophe. It was through the efforts of the fighters of these armies that the passes were cleared of the enemy. If the orders for the defense of the Caucasus are awarded only to the elect, marked by the Soviet government, then the people's memory preserves the feat of all the army men who laid down their lives on the passes. A memorial museum was erected in their honor. For him, they chose a busy section of the road from Dombay to Cherkessk. Many tourists pass here every day, and even one glance at the monument reminds everyone of the feats accomplished in those days. The museum was erected near the village of Ordzhonikidzevsky.
About the monument
Memorial complex - several objects placed on both sides of the highway. The museum is built of reinforced concrete elements and looks like a pillbox. The diameter of the structure is 11 m, the object is five meters high. Nearby is a mass grave. On the opposite side of the road, ten-meter steles look at the museum. Between it is an eternal flame. Another one burns at the tomb of the warriors.
To connect the steles and the museum, gouges were made. They were erected as a symbol of the military feat of people who sacrificed their lives in order not to let the enemy deep into the Caucasian lands. Inside you can see an exposition dedicated to high-mountain battlefields. The complex opened inearly November 1968. The authorship of the monument belongs to Chikovani, Davitaia. Kaladze was invited as a sculptor.
About the award
Decree on awarding medals issued in the spring of 1944. We decided to reward everyone who directly defended the territory. The total number of awardees is about 870 thousand. These are not only fighters from different divisions of the army, but also the townsfolk who took part in the defense of the region. The medal is a brass disk a little over 3 cm in diameter. One of the sides is decorated with an engraving depicting Elbrus and oil rigs. Foreground - moving tanks. You can see small planes in the sky. Framing - a wreath of flowers and vines. Above is the inscription "For the Defense of the Caucasus". A little higher, the symbol of the country is engraved - a star. Below you can read on the tape "USSR". A sickle and a hammer are also depicted here. The back is also decorated with a sickle, a hammer, there is the text "For our Soviet Motherland". All letters are voluminous. Provided ring, ear. The ribbon is silk. Width - 2, 4 cm. Color - olive. In the center - a pair of white two-millimeter zones, along the edges of a thin blue border. The medal was designed by Moskalev. The same artist is the author of many other Soviet medals. The award must be worn on the left side of the chest.
As mentioned above, there are about 870 thousand awarded in total. Some were given medals twice. This honor was awarded to those who showed particular perseverance in the battles for the region. And today the list of awardees is becoming more extensive as new information is restored. All names are listed in military orders.
